Please, take a picture of the area and post it here so we can help you better. I can work on an sketch for you

That would be so great! I just really feel over my head on this one. My builder says that I need 4 inches of non combustible material on the top and 1/2 inch on each side. I was thinking about doing a metal surround (black) on each side about 1 inch in width and then start the wood trim. The top could easily have more than one inch. The fireplace (Lennox) insert does not come with extra trim, so I thought I might need to look at other brands. I will get pictures first thing tomorrow. I really appreciate the input.

It all goes to the look you are trying to acheive.

Stone, cultured stone, tile, polished, tumbled or honed stone tiles... plenty of non-combustibles out there to choose from.

Is it a wood-burning fireplace, gas, masonry, metal?

If this is a Lennox fireplace insert (as you describe it) then it has a whole different set of rules than a pre-fab gas/wood burning fireplace. I would be very careful about how deeply it was recessed in a bookcase.

The non-combustible material surround requirements that you mention don't sound right. Check the building code and the manufacturer's installation instruction yourself. Don't trust the builder's interpretation; I've seen that lead to a lot of pain.

Thanks for the input. It looks like the typical fireplace in the middle and the bookcases on either side. The bookcases are what actually are recessed back. I have a call into the fireplace salesman to give me the actual fireplace model. At this point all I know is Lenox Superior. I hope to have more information soon along with pictures. I really appreciate all the responses

Lennox's Superior brand consists of 10 wood-burning fireplaces and 16 gas fireplaces. None of them are fireplace inserts.

Okay, like I said, first time home builder. I hope to have better information soon. All I know is that it is vent free and gas. I guess insert was not the correct term. Sorry

If you are considering a ventless gas fireplace you should read the many discussions about their safety on the GardenWeb Fireplace Forum and elsewhere.

Because their safe use depends on proper installation (even the log arrangement) and the ability of a detector in the unit to turn it off when the CO level is dangerous, I will not specify them.

Here is a quote from Consumer Reports provided by Grinder12000 on the Fireplace Forum:

"An unvented gas fireplace that's safely sized needn't pose any acute health hazard. But our tests confirm that these heaters contribute significantly to indoor air pollution. If you're planning to buy a gas fireplace, a vented model should be your first choice. That's especially wise if any household member has asthma or another respiratory ailment that may be exacerbated by particulate matter, or if your home is very airtight--and so will disperse the fireplace's emissions less readily."

"A vented gas fireplace needn't cost more to buy and install than an unvented model, since some units require only a fairly small vent pipe that runs horizontally to any outside wall."

"If you do decide to buy an unvented gas fireplace, here's how to ensure it operates as safely as possible:"

* "Observe GRI guidelines. Insist that the contractor not exceed them when sizing your fireplace."

* "Limit its use. Though occasional extended use of an unvented fireplace should pose little long-term health risk, we suggest limiting operation to no more than a few hours at a stretch, as a rule."

* "Provide extra ventilation. Leave at least one window open in the space where the fireplace operates."

* "Buy only a certified package. Some fireplaces are sold as two separate components: a "firebox" and a "logset"--the component that contains the burners and logs. Ask the contractor to confirm, through the owners' manual or an American Gas Association label on the logset, that the two components are compatible. A dealer sold us a fireplace firebox with another brand's logset he claimed was suitable. He was wrong; the combination emitted higher levels of carbon monoxide than is desirable until we obtained a logset that was approved for that firebox."

* "Use a CO alarm. That dealer error aside, the fireplaces we tested showed no propensity to generate any carbon monoxide (CO). Also, some models claim to shut off should carbon monoxide levels ever rise. However, we recommend use of a CO alarm with any combustion appliance, including an unvented fireplace."

Here is a link that might be useful: Fireplace Forum